Fatally Flaky

Contents of one 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained

? cup raisins (or more, if desired)

? cup red onion, finely chopped

1? cups real, best-quality mayonnaise

1 tablespoon curry powder (or more, if desired)

2 tablespoons chutney (or more, if desired)

? teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Large, best-quality salted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the chicken breasts on a large rimmed baking pan covered with a silicone baking sheet. Rub oil onto the pieces and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Bake the chicken 25 to 40 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Check by slicing into one of the pieces, all the way to the bone. All the meat should have turned completely white, with no trace of pink. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the chicken to cool completely.

When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and bones and tear the meat into bite-size pieces. Measure it; you should have 4 cups. Reserve any remainder for another use.

In a large glass serving bowl, place the chicken, drained oranges, pineapple, raisins, and red onion.

To make the dressing: Place the mayonnaise, curry powder, chutney, salt, sour cream, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Blend all the ingredients on high, or until almost completely smooth. You may have to turn the processor off and remove the top one or two times, to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. This should not take more than 2 minutes.

Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the serving bowl and stir carefully but well, until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the salad for at least 24 hours.

Serve with a large bowl of peanuts to sprinkle on top of each serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Fatally Flaky Cookies

? cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

? cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon best-quality unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (recommended brand: Hershey’s dark European style)

1? cups quick-cooking oats

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (high altitude: 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon baking powder

? teaspoon sea salt

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling: Either 1 quart best-quality vanilla ice cream (recommended brand: Haagen-Dazs)

Or Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

(recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed cookie sheets with silicone baking sheets.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sugar and raise the heat to medium. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture bubbles, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa, oats, flour, baking powder, and sea salt until well combined.

In another bowl, beat together the egg and vanilla. Stir into the oat mixture until well combined. Add the cooled butter mixture and stir well.

Using a 1-tablespoon ice-cream scoop, measure out the batter onto cookie sheets, allowing at least 2 inches between cookies (they spread, and you need all the cookies to be a uniform size).

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are completely cooked. Allow to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then, using a wide, rubber-tipped spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to cooling racks. Allow to cool completely.

When you are ready to serve, spread 2 tablespoons of either the ice cream or the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting on the flat side of one cookie, then top with the flat side of a second cookie. Serve immediately, or freeze.

Makes about a dozen sandwich cookies

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

? cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Whipping cream or milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it is very creamy. Slowly add the sugar, a quarter cup at a time, beating each time until the sugar is completely blended into the butter. If the frosting begins to get too stiff, add a tablespoon of cream or milk. Beat in the vanilla, and if the frosting is still too stiff, add another tablespoon of cream or milk. You want the frosting to be fairly stiff so the sandwich cookies stay together. Cover and refrigerate any unused frosting.

Black-and-White Cake

Note: This is an ice-cream cake and should be kept frozen until ready to serve.

Butter and additional flour for pans and rack

1 quart best-quality vanilla ice cream (recommended brand: Haagen-Dazs)